Merzbow
Masami Akita (秋田 昌美, Akita Masami, born December 19, 1956), better known by his stage name Merzbow (メルツバウ, Merutsubau), is a Japanese noise musician. He is best known for his style of harsh, confrontational noise exemplified on his 1996 release, Pulse Demon. Since 1980, he has released over 400 recordings.
The name Merzbow comes from the German dada artist Kurt Schwitters' artwork Merzbau (German pronunciation: [ˈmɛʁtsˌbaʊ̯]), in which Schwitters transformed the interior of his house using found objects. The name was chosen to reflect Akita's dada influence and junk art aesthetic. In addition to this, Akita has cited a wide range of musical influences from progressive rock, heavy metal, free jazz, and early electronic music to non-musical influences like dadaism, surrealism, and fetish culture. Since the early 2000s, he has been inspired by animal rights and environmentalism, and has become a vegan.
As well as being a prolific musician, he has been a writer and editor for several books and magazines in Japan, and has written several books of his own. He has written about a variety of subjects, mostly about music, modern art, and underground culture. His more renowned works were on the topics of BDSM and Japanese bondage. Other art forms Akita has been interested in include painting, photography, filmmaking, and Butoh dance.
In 2000, Extreme Records released the 50 CD box set known as the Merzbox. Akita's work has been the subject of several remix albums and at least one tribute album. This, among other achievements, has helped Merzbow to be regarded by some as the "most important artist in noise".
Releases
Sleeve | Title | Year | Format |
---|---|---|---|
メルツバウ* = Merzbow - 干渉ハノーバー | 1991 | Vinyl, LP, Repress | |
メルツバウ* = Merzbow - 干渉ハノーバー | 1991 | Vinyl, LP | |
メルツバウ* = Merzbow - 和漢短歌/戦後五十年の先住民 = Wakantanka / Aboriginie Of Anniversary 50 Years After War | 1995 | Vinyl, 7", 33 ⅓ RPM, Limited Edition, Numbered, Picture Disc | |
メルツバウ* = Merzbow - 和漢短歌/戦後五十年の先住民 = Wakantanka / Aboriginie Of Anniversary 50 Years After War | 1995 | Vinyl, 7", 33 ⅓ RPM, Limited Edition, Numbered, Picture Disc, Special Edition | |
メルツバウ* = Merzbow - 和漢短歌/戦後五十年の先住民 = Wakantanka / Aboriginie Of Anniversary 50 Years After War | 1995 | Vinyl, 7", 33 ⅓ RPM, Limited Edition, Numbered, Picture Disc, Special Edition | |
メルツバウ* = Merzbow - 干渉ハノーバー | 1991 | Vinyl, LP, Limited Edition, Numbered | |
メルツバウ* = Merzbow - 干渉ハノーバー | 1991 | Vinyl, LP | |
Merzbow - Frog+ | 2003 | CD, Reissue, CD, Enhanced, All Media, Album | |
Merzbow - Ikebukuro Dada | 2002 | CD, Album | |
Merzbow - Merzbox | 2000 | CD, Album, CD, CD-ROM, Box Set, Compilation, Limited Edition, Numbered | |
Merzbow - Great American Nude / Crash For Hi-Fi | 1991 | CD, Album | |
Merzbow - A Taste Of... | 2002 | CD, Album | |
Merzbow - Puroland | 2001 | CD, Album | |
Merzbow - Nil Vagina For Mice | 1993 | Vinyl, 7" | |
Merzbow - Yurikamome: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 3 | 2009 | CD, Album, Limited Edition | |
Merzbow - Kujakubato: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 7 | 2009 | CD, Album, Limited Edition | |
Merzbow - Vibractance | 1998 | CD, Album | |
Merzbow - Material Action 2 N·A·M | 2016 | Vinyl, LP, Limited Edition, Numbered, Reissue | |
Merzbow - Ikebana: Merzbow's Amlux Rebuilt, Reused And Recycled Promotional Sampler | 2003 | CD, Sampler, Promo | |
Merzbow - Solonoise 1 & 2 | 2021 | CD, Album, Compilation, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered | |
Merzbow - Yaho-Niwa | 2011 | CD, Album, Limited Edition | |
Merzbow - Hyper Music 1 Vol. 1 | 2018 | CD, Album, Remastered | |
Merzbow - Mighty Ace | 2020 | CD, Album, Remastered | |
Merzbow - Metal Acoustic Music | 1992 | Cassette, Reissue | |
Merzbow - Nezumimochi | 2015 | File, MP3 | |
No Image | Merzbow - Collection : 001 | 1981 | Cassette, Album |
Merzbow - Arijigoku | 2015 | File, MP3, Album | |
Merzbow - Antimonument | 2014 | Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Numbered, Picture Disc, Reissue, Remastered | |
Merzbow - Nil Vagina For Mice | 1993 | Vinyl, 7", Repress, 45 RPM | |
Merzbow-Lowest Music And Arts* - Lowest Music 2 | 1990 | Cassette | |
Merzbow - Merzbeat | 2021 | Cassette, Deluxe Edition, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo | |
Merzbow - Rod Drug 93 Ltd | Vinyl, 7", 33 ⅓ RPM, Limited Edition, Numbered, White Label | ||
Merzbow - Cloud Cock OO Grand (Another Mix) | 2019 | CD, Album, Remastered | |
Merzbow - Expanded Musik 2 | 2018 | CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered | |
Merzbow - Vratya Southward | 2022 | CD, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered | |
Merzbow - 小品集 Vol.2 | 2019 | CD, Album, Remastered | |
Merzbow - Flare Blues | 2021 | File, FLAC, Album, Remastered | |
Merzbow - Amlux (20th Anniversary) | 2022 | Cassette, Album, Limited Edition, Numbered | |
Merzbow - Untitled 1991 Vol. 1 | 2019 | CD, Album, Remastered | |
Merzbow - Metal Acoustic Music | 1989 | Cassette | |
Merzbow - MONOAkuma | 2018 | File, MP3 | |
Merzbow - Paradoxa Paradoxa | 1988 | Cassette | |
Merzbow - Batztoutai With Material Gadgets | 2013 | CD, Repress | |
Merzbow - Noise Matrix | 2023 | Vinyl, LP, Limited Edition, Reissue | |
Merzbow - Ko To No O To | 2012 | Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM | |
Merzbow - Hikaru Hane | 2021 | File, MP3, Album | |
Merzbow - Dead Lotus | 2019 | File, MP3, Album | |
Merzbow - Chant | 1989 | Cassette, Album, Reissue | |
Merzbow - Collection 009 | Cassette, Album | ||
Merzbow - Torus | 2019 | File, MP3, EP |
Images - Coming soon...